To all whom it mat concern



THOMAS n. on FOREST, OF BIRMINGHAM,-CONNECTICUT.

Letters Patent No. 80,462, dated July 28, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN GORSETS.

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TO ALL WIIOM I-'l MAY CONCERN: Q

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. DE FOREST, of Birmingham', in the county of New Haven, and State of Con'- necticnt, have invented a new Improvement in Corsets; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the letters of reference marked thereon,to `be a full, clear, and

exact description, and whichsad drawing constitutes part of this specification, and represents a perspective formation of pockets in the body of the corset, substantiallyas set forth.

view of the corset complete.

This invention relates to an improvement in the general construction of corsets, and consists- Iiirst, in constructing corsets of a felted' material, whether it. consists of 4all feltable or a part of nonfeltable fibre, and whether blown upon an exhausted cone of the corset-shape, or wound upon a suitable-shaped blockfinl several layers of sliver from the carding-engine, or blocked orA stretched from a sheet of felt into proper shape upon a suitable former. A

Secondly, in the attachment of covered stays to the surface of the material of the corset, either upon the inside or outside, whereby the necessity of pockets isavoided.

'Io enable others to construct my improvement, I will proceed to describe the same as 'illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In forming the bat for the corset, I pursue any of the known methods practised .by felt-manufacturers, preferring toform the bat by blowing the material upon a cone, or winding it upon `the block iu several layers of sliver, as I am then enabled to graduate its thickness at suitable points for strength, and' to regulatethe elasticity at suitable points by crossing the fibre.

These latter efects will be found advantageous in forming the belt or waistband of the corsets, as strength and non-elasticity are'both required at that point, and thus 'I am enabledto dispense with the.cloth stay hereinafter described; or upon a former of. suitable shape I stretch, shrink, or block a piece of manufactured feltv in like manner as hat-cones are brought into shape. v

i To strengthen the corset at the waist, I attach a cloth stay, A, extending from `the front around the waist, as denoted in blue in the drawing. at this point.

B B are the stays, of covering-material.

rwhich I prefer to form from steel wire enclosed within acovering, so as to leave an edge (This wire was patented to myself and S. Gilbert, dated February 18, 1868.) I cut the stays' to theproper length,v and lay them in proper position on the surface of the corset, upon the'outside orinsicle, preferring the outside, and by a common sewing-machine stitch the stays to the body of the corset.

The busks C C are attached'in like manner, and at the back of the corset, I place an arrangement for lacing in the usual or any known manner. material, consequentlyattain a perfection of form which. cannot be in the cut corset, and this at a much less expense than can he done in the ordinary construction. y

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as' new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. A corset formed from a feltcd material, substantially as 'herein described. 2. In combination with a corset constructed as above, the body-stay or band A, substantially as set forth.

This 'cloth should be of sudicient strength. to take nearly the enti'e strain' Thus I produce a corset of any desired shape without cutting the 3. 'lhe arrangement of the sta-ys B B 'upon the surface of the corset, either inside or outside, without theV THOMAS B. DE FOREST.

Witnesses:

JNO. D. PA'rTnN, R. II. WHITTLESEY. 

